Technology Development Board Funds Sovereign AI-ELINT Constellation for India's National Security
The Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, has committed financial support of ₹64.05 crore to M/s Astrome Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, Karnataka. This funding is part of a larger project totaling ₹128.11 crore, aimed at developing a sovereign space-based Artificial Intelligence-enabled Electronic Intelligence (AI-ELINT) constellation. This initiative is designed to bolster India's indigenous space-based intelligence and advanced satellite technology capabilities. The project seeks to advance critical technologies from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 to TRL-9, with financial support provided through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD). The program will involve the development and progressive deployment of AI-ELINT microsatellites, weighing approximately 50 kg each, to operate within a constellation architecture in low Earth orbit.
